


Never Dive in Shallow Water

by Sakilya



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Gen, Multi, Psychological Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-15
Updated: 2011-12-18
Packaged: 2017-10-27 09:05:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/294053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sakilya/pseuds/Sakilya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For the kink-meme. Vriska is jealous about Gamzee's relationship with Tavros, and decides to break him from within. What she doesn't know, is that Gamzee's mind isn't as safe as the ones she used to enter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Entering

Going down into someone’s mind is a lot like swimming, something Vriska became pretty good at after her flarping days, both literal and metaphorical speaking. The hardest part was the first breakthrough, and often on highbloods she wouldn’t even get through that surface. It would be like a thick layer of ice that was impossible for her to break at her current level (one day though, she promised herself, she would conquer even them. She did train on Eridan as often as she could). On lowbloods it was easier, warmer, almost like sinking down into a recuperacoon. But she could only go as far to as when the pressure started to pound in her ears and she had to stop at whatever level of controlling.

That had always been enough.

\---------------

Vriska glared at Tavros. That was neither unusual nor odd, except for the fact that she wasn’t really staring at him, but instead tried to burn a hole through Gamzee’s back. That damned clown always seemed to block her view when she was trying to gain Tavros attention. This of course meant looking at him until he gave up fidgeting and asked what she wanted. She always got what she wanted.

But it hadn’t happened much ever since everyone got clear, Gamzee was motherfucking flushed for Tavros, and the feeling was, uh, mutual. Vriska felt annoyance creeping up at the thought and turned back to her computer. It took about a minute or less, watching her offline trollian, before she was back staring at the two of them through the reflection of her screen.

Tavros, who had rejected her flushed advances, and later even her black ones, dared to suddenly go out in the open with a _spoor addict_ of all trolls. How was he in any way better than her? Yes, he might be higher than her, but with Tavros that wasn’t really a reliable fact. Gamzee was also obviously weaker than her, with her mind powers and luck and Octet against his… whatever he used.

Now she was fully glaring at Gamzee, feeling as Karkat would yell, complete platonic hate. A grin replaced her former frown as she closed her eyes and prepared.

Well, if she couldn’t have Tavros, no one would. Normally that sentence would imply that she would hurt Tavros in some physical way, like killing, but why could she not hurt his dear _matespirit_ (she almost lost concentration at the word) and him mentally, at the same time? Like killing two birds with one stone.

Vriska reached out with her mind, finding Gamzee’s easily, and she instinctively took a deep breath. She never knew what was blocking her from entering a highbloods mind, but she hoped it wasn’t only because of their blood. Then no matter how dumb, annoying and zoned out Gamzee was, she would never get in.

But now she did.

It could almost not count as a breakthrough. Seeping into Gamzee’s mind was like walking into a fog, a slight uncomfortable feeling but in reality not anything hard at all. The pounding that usually appeared at any point while taking control over someone was barely noticeable. She almost laughed out loud as she felt her mind freely hover around without any sign of resistance.

“Just as you might think of someone with a broken think-pan”. Vriska huffed, smiling as she looked around in the pretty much empty space. “This seems easy enough.”

The instant she said it out loud, someone seemed to make a shift to the gravity (if there ever had been one), making it work all ways all at once pulling at her. She only got a small breathing room as the feeling disappeared, before a flood of pressure came from all edges of his mind, engulfing hers.

All the systems in her mind screamed as her mind fought not to get ripped apart the very moment it all came crashing around her. It was as if the ice she always thought of as metaphorical explanation suddenly decided to take form and it was actually cold. The pressure got larger and she struggled to pull back (a8scond, a8bscond dammit!) but it pushed her deeper inside and didn’t let her go.

With a rip she felt the connection to her own body disappear.


	2. Breakthrough

This time she felt the breakthrough, and it was like something pulling her through broken shards of glass and webbings. Then, as soon as it came, it was gone. Stumbling at the sudden realize, she clutched her chest as it heaved up and down, struggling to see if everything worked or how big the damage was. The missing logic of that statement only hit her a bit after. Vriska stopped and looked down on her body. She could actually hear her bladder based aquatic vascular system beating hard in her chest, feel how tense her shoulders were, the itching of where her skin had scratched a small bit.

That should not be possible while being in her mind’s form. The spiritual body wasn’t a necessary, but it kept her concentrated and in control. Made it easier to push around the person she was invading. But it should never, ever, feel like it was her own body, never feel like she was actually physically in his mind instead of the usual strong sense of her body being somewhere else. Somewhere it belonged, safe and sound.

Now that feeling was gone and it left her confounded and confused. This had never happened before, it shouldn’t be possible to loose contact with herself but that seemed to be the only reasonable explanation. Slowly panic started to creep up, for what if she couldn’t find her way back? Usually it was just like letting go, but now… she had to find a way out. Right now. She couldn’t stay here. She couldn’t… The sudden rush of adrenaline faded and she laughed out a short, loud laugh as the bad feelings were forced into the back of her mind.

“Something new happens and I’m immediately thinking of backing of? The Marquise would be disappointed with me for not exploring, finding, and winning everything I can while I can!” She said to the void around her, as if trying to convince that too that she belonged here and wanted to be here. Pushing her hair away from her face she grinned. Yes. That was it. She had a plan and power and nothing would stop her from getting her will.

Looking over the new place, she spotted something on the ground further away, and it didn’t take long for her to recognize the tousled long hair showing towards her. Gamzee way lying on his back, looking up into the darkness as if he saw something completely else, a complete intriguing mIrAcLe. Probably, hallucinated in his mind as much as in reality Vriska thought as she approached him. But as soon as she took a step forward, his head snapped away from the… ceiling? sky? whatever, and he looked at her from upside down.

A grin broke out on his face and with a flow of motions he had his hands next to his head and rolled backwards towards her, coming up into standing without missing or stumbling at a single beat. She almost felt like clapping.

“Wow, look who showed up here. Isn’t the sweetest scorpiosister” His voice was doing that usual flip up and down as it wanted and it made her relax a slight bit more. He didn’t really seem as hostile as a normal troll would do finding someone else in his brain. But, she reasoned, it was Gamzee they were talking about. And now it was time to make the best out of this.

“Hellooooooooo Gamzee,” She grinned and walked as calmly and confidently towards him at possible, hands clasped behind her back. “How are you on this very fine night?” She stopped about two steps away from him; trying to at normal like this was also a place for her to be.

“We don’t really have night and day now, righty?” He laughed, a sound that made her cringe as it reminded her that it was often Tavros that made him laugh, and that they laughed _together_. Why had she never been able to do that? “There are no colours to see, only the start of miracles.”

With a long step he closed the distance between them and wrapped a long arm around her shoulder casually. She reacted by trying to shrug away, not used to the close distance he held her onto. He always seemed to be the touchy kind of guy (another thing, Tavros was too innocent for him! Vriska would at least been able to teach him properly) but he had never been this close to her. Hadn’t he… kind of _always_ been scared of her?

  
Suddenly she didn’t feel as comfortable as before. With a laugh she removed his arm and backed away. “You’re right about that. But you know? I might as well go now, so you can be alone with your dear miiiiiiiracles.” _(and stay there forever, away from my Tavros!)_

“Really?” He smiled sadly, an expression she wasn’t used to and that was probably pity-material to anyone but her. What really got interesting was when his face suddenly twisted into one of anger, and she felt her eyes widen a miniscule part. “THAT’S PRETTY RUDE BITCH, you just arrived after all. WON’T YOU KEEP A FRIEND COMPANY?”

She stared at him. While talking Gamzee beat out with his arms, a motion that might have invited her to a hug as well as a twisted “Come at me Bro”. The motion made her fight back a flinch, but then broke out in laughter. How ridiculous, her being scared of Gamzee? That seemed like the worst joke ever.

“Look here soporboy,” she smirked, taking a step closer to him and almost breathed in delight _(and relief)_ when he backed off. “First, don’t call me bitch. And second, I’m. not. your. friend. Or sister, whatever that is.” Vriska flipped her hair back, and tried not to think about why she was worried hos Gamzee’s eyes were fully open and glaring back at her without blinking. Not many were able to look her right into her special eye.

She went to turn back the way she might have come from (how would she know?) and tried to feel herself out. She didn’t really want to get back to the feeling of the shards, but it wasn’t like she didn’t have a choice. It was better than to be trapped under the ice.

Gamzee clicked his tongue, alerting her that he had gotten way closer than she had expected. She spun around as fast as she could, instinct screaming in her head. She choked it before it showed. True, he was only standing about over a meter away from her, but without showing outright intimidation.

 _(So why are you shaking!?)_

It was when she noticed his arm was outstretched to a point next to her head; she let her glance slide over to her left. Barley three centimeters away from her head, a white club had stopped, and then was slowly taken down and disappeared from Gamzee hands into thin air.

“won’t you stay, spidey? I THINK WE HAVE A LOT TO TALK ABOUT. please?” His voice dropped to a growl, and with terror she realized that he was actually being serious. Too late she saw that the club had once again reappeared in his other hand, and this time it didn’t stop before smashing into the back of her head.


	3. Spiderbreath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Oh man, random chapter names, that only makes sense in my mind...)

Vriska ran. She ran and she couldn’t for the love of her life remember why, only that she had to get away and that everything was her fault. Her shoes smattered against the floor as they followed the large, empty corridors with used motions. She had gone this way hundreds of times, but this time something was different. A cold settlement in her stomach.

With her single eye, she wasn’t able to discern the distance. With one bad step she stumbled in front of her stairs, giving a shrill scream of surprise as she tumbled down. Her one arm wasn’t much to help to stop her from hurting herself, but she was tough. Even when she felt her healing shoulder strain as it brushed the ground, and the bruises appearing from her fall, she didn't scream from pain. She had to be strong.

The world finally stopped spinning, and when she looked up she was greeted by the white face of her guardian. She hurried to stand up, brushing herself off. Then remembered why she’d felt such dread all the while running. Why hadn’t she taken another way out?

“M-mom?” She asked in that way too young and uncertain voice, looking up at the spider. The spider that she had been forced to be strong for, to care for. The spider she had not _been able_ to care for, while lying bleeding for days and fighting sickness.

The spider she had not been able to feed.

 _“You have failed me, Vriska dear.”_ She felt the giant spider speak in her mind and the statement sunk in, she started to scramble back away from the opening. One giant leg caught her before she got far and pushed her forwards and out of the opening, letting her free-fall screaming before the web beneath came to great her.

The threads of the spider-web surround her the moment she hit the web, and as she tried to push herself up the sticky threads kept her down. She pleaded desperately when she couldn’t get them away. “Mom! Mom! Please, I’ll be better! PLEASE!!” The threads didn’t stop and only got tighter the more she moved, sticking to her clothes and hair and body and mind.

She froze; feeling as the strings of a web tightened around her nose and mouth, leaving enough to not fully suffocate her but still enough so that she couldn’t breathe. Oh God. She was going to suffocate. Only very, very slowly. Tears was running down her cheeks as she once more tried to pull in air but never getting more than a small hint of it.

The slight oxygen she had run out fast as she fought against her bonds, all the way while Spidermom looked down at her with all eight eyes just waiting for the moment the air run out and everything would go black. At another time Vriska might have been grateful that her lusus didn’t eat her alive but… but…. she didn’t want to die like this!

Her whole body was fighting now, inside out. Heart and lungs tried to make the best of the insignificant air she got, but in the end her muscles started to shut down. She couldn’t move anymore. With the single last breath she could muster, she screamed.

 

 _“STOP!!”_

 

Not wasting a second the illusion was gone. Her whole body was shaking, and if she tried to move from the spot, no doubt she would have fallen down on her knees. Pulling in hesitant, shaking breaths she slowly opened both of her eyes and looked at that thing (There was no way it was Gamzee, he would never be able to do something like this… right?) observing her with wide, interested eyes.

He _(that thing)_ was sitting cross-legged with one club still twirling in his hand. Neither of them moved. Eventually Gamzee stopped spinning the club that, she only now noticed, was coated in blood. Her blood. He grimaced while following her eyes and looked at his weapon. “Cerulean blue. What a DISGUSTING color.”

Vriska opened her mouth to protect her blood. After all, if he insulted her he insulted the Marquise. She barely got out a sound before the club flew towards her head and she only had time to duck to keep it from hitting her face. Instead it caught onto one of her horns and she screamed as it cracked slightly.

“Have I given you my permission to speak, MOTHERFUCKING SKYBLOOD?” She closed her mouth, stopping further screaming and he gave a dry laugh. “ALL BLUES ARE THE SAME, ACTING ALL HIGH AND MIGHTY, even though you’re more worthless than a disgusting rust blood.”

That once again strung a chord inside her. Had Gamzee just done a racial slur? Without caring for her stinging horn, she spoke back at him. “What about Tavros then?” Even through the pain she grinned. “It couldn’t be that he is only a plaything for you, riiiiiiight?”

He didn’t seem to take notice of her attempt to insult. Instead something soft came over his facial expression. “Tavbro is… different. So easy to pity, so perfect to protect, so kindhearted…” With the same smile on his face he stood up with the same fluidly as the first time and walked towards her. “and you ruined him.” One step closer. “you closed him up.” Another step, “you HURT HIM.” closer “YOU BROKE HIM BEFORE HE WAS EVEN MINE.” his face centimeters away from hers.

She straightened her back, trying to compensate for the length he held even when slouched down to her eye level.

“don’t think i don’t know what you were going to do now. DON’T THINK I DIDN’T REALIZE WHY YOU ARE HERE. you broke him. TRYING TO BREAK ME.” A weapon appeared in his hand from thin airs once again, a dagger this time.

The fear as she saw the blade made her able to move, and not thinking about the consequences she lashed out. If she was able to subdue him. If she could take control for less than a moment that would be enough to carry out her mission. Probably.

He danced out of her way. Stepping around her and grabbing her hair from behind before pulling her back. The knife found its place on her neck and she hissed from pain and anger at him. Something he only returned with a smile far more menacing that she had ever seen on his face.

“and now, little skyblood, i’m going to break you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, explaining the nickname “skyblood”. It sounds nice right? Like a sky on a sunny day? Well think about how a sunny day is to a troll. A nice compliment would have something to do with the night sky, or the moons (except for maybe Kanaya). He’s kind of saying that her blood is ugly enough to burn his eyes.


	4. Heartwound

She didn’t move from the spot, knowing that the knife would cut her neck clean off if she ever tried. Still she didn’t really feel up to standing and waiting for whatever he planned for her. She could probably escape from the blade if she got an opportunity… but on the other hand it would hurt like hell if she tried to get her hair free.

Like he had heard her thoughts (the possibility existed) the knife disappeared from her neck, but the grip on her hair got sharper in a badly hidden warning, probably worsening the wound on the back of her head. “So what?” she got out, hiding the pain in her voice better than she thought she would but not really as mockingly as she wanted. “Like you would be able harm _me_." _permanently_ , her mind added afterwards.

In reply he tightened his hold, and it made one of his claws sink into the wound. She refused to let him notice how much it hurt, but cursed the pained breath she let out. “so WHAT?” he mimicked her, his dagger once again appearing. “Even after you freaked out so pathetically before? YOU STILL HAVE GUTS TO STAND UP?”

She wanted to make some excuse _(I wasn’t prepared!)_ but realized how whiny that would sound. She make-believed that she wasn’t going to humour him with an answer, and only laughed shortly in return. He didn’t react, more than suddenly whispering in her ear.

“what were you so afraid of before then? The SIMPLE THOUGHT of your lusus killing you or…” He pushed the tip of the dagger against her chest, right above her heart and a light pressure started, steadily going bigger. “is it dying slowly?” Instantly she pushed away from the knife as she realized what he tried to do. But only ended up with her back pressed into his body, trapping her even better. Still his mouth next to her ear, he screamed.

“SPEAK TO ME BLUEBLOOD! WHAT DO YOU FEAR?”

Suddenly Aradia was above her and she was back on LoMaT, screaming as the feelings of the time returned. It was a blur of colour and hard, hard ground. But it wasn’t real. _How many of my bones are broken?_ (This is not real) _I can’t move. It hurts!_ (This is not real!) _Do someth8ng! 8t h8rts._ (It’s not real!) _The life was slowly seeping out from her body and she had to hurryhurryhurry. Had to 8e the 8est, had to h8rry!_ (Not real!) _K8LL M8!!!!!!!!_

A sudden harsh pain in her chest brought her back to reality and Gamzee was once again right in front of her, grinning like a madman. Thinking about it, it was probably not the worst simile she had ever done. The stinging pain didn’t disappear, but increased as Gamzee broke her skin forcefully with the blade. She tried to pull away as a trickle of blue blood started to seep out, but his other arm wrapped around her and trapped her nonetheless.

He drove his knife down her chest and she felt her skin rip further and blood gathering. “Don’t struggle so much, i WOULDN’T WANT TO HURT ANYTHING RIGHT?”

While he still held kind of firm to her, it was no near safe for him. All the better for her though. She beat with her other arm, grabbing the dagger and tried to push him away. He answered with pushing back, and with a hiss she kicked his legs away from under him.To her luck, the knife flew away with the motion, but instead Gamzee managed to grab her with his other hand and dragged her down with him. They struggled down in in the weird-almost-liquid-floor for a short while, before he made proof of that hidden strength and pushed her down onto her stomach, bending her left arm up her back.

Unwillingly she followed the movement and pressed down into the ground, concentrating on keeping him from breaking her arm. So she noticed too late that the other hand went around, and under her chest, traveling until it found the wound.

In the next moment his claw was buried into the wound.

It hurt. It hurt even more that the knife because that had at least been straight. Now he curled his finger and opened the wound even more, making her squirm as it pressed further in. She tried to use her other hand to get his away, ripping at it and making it hurt even more, his claw digging deeper and tearing up flesh. Suddenly he laughed, as if remembering a personal joke.

“Maybe I should just rip your heart out? YOU NEVER USE IT ANYWAY.” Blood was already soaking her chest, and his hand was probably more blue than grey by now. He was slowly pushing further into the wound and grinned wider. “i could give it as a present to Tav.”

“Fuck you…” She growled at him, struggling to breathe in a way so that it wouldn’t hurt as much. (It did anyway.) “I h8 you!” She spat at him, and was once again dismissed with a dry laugh. To her anger (and that fear she wouldn’t admit to) she realized it was because he knew she was no threat to him.

“You would probably be a good Kismesis.” He started, sounding amused and she got slightly blue from realizing what that must have sounded like. But he continued, sounding more angry than amused this time. “if it WEREN’T FOR THE FACT that I have NO RESPECT for you.” She was about to growl a burning remark back at him, but he suddenly twisted his finger and the growl died down to a pained hiss. Finally the luck seemed to return to her, as she felt his legs slightly relax around her. That small opening, the slight shifting of balance, was all she needed.

In a spur of spontaneous strength, she twisted her arm free and pushed her body hard towards the side, successfully throwing him off balance. Before he got control again she attacked and grabbed his horn. “Now, it’s my turn asshole.” she said while grinning, feeling her ability rise and flow into his mind He was completely still, and for a moment she thought she had got him, wrapping her mind around him. But the world around them started to shake, and then his eyes were suddenly burning into hers.

He was angry.


	5. Guillotine

The glare bore into her and a chill of fear passed through her body, before a shockwave not only threw her off, but also made her go at least three metres away from him. While that normally would have given her space to get away, the next moment she felt the pressure from when she first entered envelope her. It pressed all around her, threatening to break her and made her scream as he walked over. The steps were without the flowing, light feeling from before but instead firm, full with power and _pure rage_.

“what THE HELL SO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING PEASANT!” He screamed and she tried to scramble away as the pressure disappeared. He caught her before she was even up from sitting and pushed her down on her back with one knee on her chest. He covered her eyes with his hand, and she felt something firm and cold appear as ground below her.

It was a different notion than the ever changing ground of his mind. Her arms and legs were pushed down onto what could only be hard metal behind her back, and the metallic surface changed, twisted and rose around her wrists and ankles. She tried to break free, but couldn’t even move her head with his hand over her eyes and pushing down. She could feel the metal creep up halfway around her neck and heard how it rose all around her, shaping into something that she couldn’t make out. When it was sure that she couldn’t move, Gamzee finally rose off from her, and his hand was taken away from her eyes.

She immediately paled as she looked straight up into the blade of the Guillotine De La Marquise.

She would have recongnized it anywhere, even with the small changes that Gamzee seemed to have done to it. All to be able to keep her stuck without him needing to keep her down. As to prove a point Gamzee sat down on the edge of the guillotine, resting against one of the pillars holding up the blade and fingered on the rope that with one drop would cause her death. She couldn’t move her head as the metal around her neck wouldn’t let her, even though she knew that the blade would pass through the crack in between two parts of it. Her eyes desperately switched between the blade and Gamzee, the latter she had to struggle to only look at him through the corner of her eyes.

“WHAT DO YOU THINK? do you think you would die I dropped this?” His hand lightened its grip on the rope holding the blade up, and only that little made the blade move fast before coming to an abrupt stop far above. “i mean really die, outside too,” Once again the blade moved down at her and she flinched, desperately pulling at her restrains. “wouldn't that be MOTHERFUCKING FUN.” He dropped the blade again, stopping it only half a meter away from her waiting neck.

“after all. YOU COULD KILL PEOPLE BY CONTROLLING. but indirectly like you hurt Tav.” She could barely hear him speak; only looking panicked at the blade and after a way out. This was her weapon, she shouldn’t… she had to know some way! The blade moved upwards again, but she felt anything but relief. Gamzee fastened the devise and crawled over to her. With only pure willpower was she able to pull her eyes away from the doom waiting above her, and looked at him. She was all too scared to glare.

“Y-you wouldn’t dare! You _need_ me!” She was aware that it was desperately bargaining for her life, but it was all she had left. “T-they would never forgive you!” She screamed, and he raised one eyebrow disbelieving at her before laughing. Her breathing quickened.

“seriously? ARE YOU FUCKING WITH ME? how could they know I MOTHERFUCKING ENDED YOUR LIFE? why would they care?” He drew near again, making her press down into the cold metal being her back in a feeble attempt to escape. “haven’t you realized it yet?” there was clear amusement in his voice, growing stronger every time she flinched as he screamed. ”DO YOU HEAR ME SPIDER?! no one likes you, YOU MOTHERFUCKING FAILURE OF TROLL!”

She couldn’t speak back before he pulled away, once again taking hold of the rope to the guillotine. “i’m only making them a favour. A FAVOUR OF KILLING YOU.” He was outside her seeing range, but the voice then took on a sickly sweet and comforting tone, only making a blue layer wrap over her eyes.

“nightynighty, little skyblood”.

When the blade came down towards her, she couldn’t help but to scream, only for it to stop a few centimetres away from her neck. Her chest was heaving up and down as she looked at it, a loud sob escaping her mouth. His laughter broke through her sobbing as the blade was lifted up, and slowly she got control of herself again. She could do nothing about the shaking though.

“ISN’T THAT FUN, the spider actually shows true emotion.” This time when Gamzee once again walked into her range, he still held the rope in his hand for her to see. “i wasn’t really planning on killing you before.” He said, but the words gave her no comfort as anger grew into his face. “I THOUGHT YOU WOULD LEARN. learn how to be a good little troll. i tried to give you a chance AND TRUST YOU.” With wide eyes she saw him opening his hand one finger at a time. “and you BROKE that trust.” His hand opened and once again the blade fell down. Time slowed down as she felt it cut into her neck, and stop.

It had broken the skin, but not gone far enough to harm something important. Of course what she thought wasn’t anything reasonable as that. She whimpered as the blade stayed still, feeling it cut her every time she breathed the shaky breaths she couldn’t control. Blue poured out of her eyes and through the blurry eyes she could barely see him smile.

Once again it was lifted, and this time barely got halfway before being dropped. She wanted to close her eyes, sqeeze them shut and pretend this weren't happening. But the sound was even worse as the guillotine screamed before coming to a disappointed stop.

After the fifth time she got her voice back. "Just kill me already!" _(I don't want to die!)_ Her voice cracked, but she could really care less about it. Her mind was only hoping for a quick end, while her body seemed to break with tension everytime the blade came.

"well..." Gamzee sounded thoughtful, something she never would have thought he could be before _this_. "IF LITTLE DIRTY THIEF WANTS IT, who am i to refuse." Vriska gulped, her thoughts caught between desperately relived and completely terrified, her heart so far up her throat the guilotine might as well slice through it.

Without a single warning, she saw the rope getting loose and fly up and away from Gamzee. He made no move to catch it and this time she really shut her eyes firmly, squeezing out tears.

The blade passed through her neck, turning into mist at the last moment before cutting her open. “or maybe I could.” His voice were far over amused, sounding cruel and cold at the same time.

The Guillotine disappeared around her, like it had never been there, and she was dropped to the weird ground again. Letting out the breath she's been holding, she broke down crying, curling into herself. She brought her hand up to her neck, as if to check it was still there, tears covering her face as she sobbed, her body shaking still from chock of almost, _almost_ getting killed. Before she had time or strenght to even prop her up on her elbows, Gamzee stood above her, one foot on either side of her ribcage.

“Since you didn’t learn last time,” Gamzee smiled from above her, putting down a foot way to close to her wound. It got harder to breathe not only after the applied pressure on her lungs, but also when she saw that the white club was back slung over his shoulder. He took it down and pointed at her head, closing one eye as if he needed to take aim.

“LET’S PRACTISE THIS MOTHERFUCKER ONE MORE TIME”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just love mock-executions <3


	6. Nightynighty

Time seemed to lapse on and off around in the space, and offhand Vriska wondered whenever or not she had gone crazy. He was literally hurting her mind, or, at least her mind placed in a body… no matter how weird that sounded. It wasn’t important, only that it hurt. She couldn’t breathe correctly and at first she thought he might have damaged something too much _(please, please not that, please let me live)_ , before realizing he was actually sitting on her chest.

His finger was on her face drawing that smiley that before always had seemed so harmless, but now it was too happy, too fake. He used her blood as paint, and when he ran out he simply pulled his finger down to her throat and fetched more. The wound had not been left alone enough to heal, and it made her feel a bit faint from bloodless. He on the other hand seemed to be happier the more blood was spilled.

“Your blood is kind of nice to paint with.” he remarked, tilting his head in concentration and painted way to close to her eyes for her liking. “TAKE THAT AS A MOTHERFUCKING COMPLIMENT.” She flinched at the screaming, (it seemed like that was something you never got used to) and almost acted on impulse to throw him off, but then logic and pain won over and she forced herself to calm down.

His finger stayed way, way too close to her eye eight-fold and suddenly moved over to position itself straight over it. She could feel it brush over her eyelashes, pushing close and then further away again. “what do you do with this mutated eye anyway? LOOKING INTO PEOPLES MINDS? is it a good decision for me to break it too?”

She tried to not show fear, but knew that her eyes widened at the proposal. Slowly the bloodied finger came closer and she shut her eye, as if it would protect anything. She felt the finger press down until it became uncomfortable before it was removed from her eyelid, probably leaving a blue dot. Taking more blood he repeated the motion closing her other eye.

He then moved to her nose, and painted it to, making her hold her breath as the liquid blue threatened to enter her nostrils. Finally, he took one last stroke of blood from one ear to another, painting a wide smile over her face, once again mimicking his trademark smiley. She could taste her own blood from her lips, but made no move to dry it off.

No matter how little she wanted to admit it, he was in full control here. He had been in full control all the time and she had walked right into his trap. She was completely at his mercy, as he had spent time (hours?) explaining to her. Gamzee seemed to be content with his work, because he got off her and started to wander about the spot.

“Vriska.” He started, as if he didn’t have her full attention already. “i want you to listen, THIS IS A MOTHERFUCKING IMPORTANT THING OKAY?” He crouched down next to her, his body tense and probably ready to get her down if she tried something. “A WARNING, I will give to you one last time.” he looked like a lusus who tried to correct his little grub, strangely reminding her of spidermom, as, well, she would also have killed her for mistakes.

“If you ever try to do this, IF we EVER SEE YOU TRYING TO CONTROL us AGAIN. we’re gonna MOTHERFUCKING ruin you, okay?” He smiled and then visibly relaxed. “you should go now, while i’m STILL BEING THIS MOTHERFUCKING NICE.”

Vriska stayed down on her back for a few moments more, finding it hard to be able to control her body again and not yet trusting him to let go of her. Any moment now. Her mind warned, all her senses being uptight and sensitive on how the pressure hovered around her, ready to act on his least feeling of anger. Any moment. She wasn’t able to relax, wasn’t able to believe that she was free to go. Where would she go anyway?

Her inability to move seemed to have the opposite effect of what she wanted. He grabbed the neckline of her almost ripped t-shirt and heaved her up with it. “did you listen to A SINGLE MOTHERFUCKING WORD I SAID!?” With a push he threw her away. “I TOLD YOU TO GO AWAY, DAMNED SPIDER!”

The world constricted around her, quicker than she had a chance to scream then there was the feeling of falling before crashing. Full darkness exchanged to a lighter shade and she snapped her eyes open. Light blue covered her eyelids still as she stared up at the gray ceiling high above her. She was lying on the floor, an overturned chair beside her. She simply stared without moving for a while, remembering how to breath, before in the next moment getting her hearing back.

“WHAT THE EVERLOVING FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!”  
“Hehehe, way to be scared Karkles. Nice fall Vriska!”  
“Vriska, are you alright? May I ask what happened?”  
“Vvris? Wwhat are you doing?”  
“Will all of you jutht thhut up!?”  
“YOU SHUT UP CAPTOR”

The room settled into the usual (comforting) chaos, and she struggled to sit up and get the blurriness out of her head and eyes. Suddenly a hand came into view, and also the wheelchair that follow it.

“Uh… are you okay??” Tavros looked down at her (wow, that was unusual) with what seemed like platonic worry and she almost snapped at him when she noticed Gamzee standing beside Tavros.

Her automatic response would be to hiss at him, but when he opened his mouth her mind automatically closed up and it was as if she couldn’t move again. _(Have I given you my permission to speak, MOTHERFUCKING SKYBLOOD?)_ She almost pulled her hands up to protect herself from whatever, but Gamzee only smiled like a dope. “What’s wrong bestes spidersis?”

She stared at bit longer before shaking her head (Bad choice, that _hurt_ ). “Fine! I mean, I’m completely fine!” She finally spluttered out when she realized she could move her tongue. Her head was still slightly swooning and she didn’t trust herself to try to stand up again.

“I believe what Gamzee is talking about…” Kanaya’s voice came softly from the side, where she had apparently walked away from Karkat, and Vriska suddenly felt an almost impossible urge to throw herself at the jade-blood and cry. She didn’t. “…is that you’re bleeding, Vriska.”

Vriska looked at them, and then realized the sting at the back of her head and also the slight dampness under her shirt. She touched the source of the hurt and when she pulled her hand back she had already felt the sticky feeling as blood coated her hands. She tried a smile. “This is noooooooo problem, fussyfangs. It was probably just the _(bashing of a club in the back of her head as she tried to escape)_ hit from the floor” she laughed, sounding nothing as confident as it usually was.

Kanaya looked concerned and not the least convinced. The troll sent a glance towards the other two, and suddenly Gamzee crouched down, looking at Vriska intensively. “what the motherfuck happened to your neck sis?” he asked, reaching out to touch the thin, scabbed over wound at her neck. Vriska felt her body freeze in place. It took a moment until she realized that she was terrified.

She also knew the reason to her fear. For if Gamzee in that moment had decided to take his long, bony fingers and wrapped them around her neck, she wouldn’t be able stop him. Instantly she beat his hand away and put her own over her neck, covering and protecting it. He could choke her and she wouldn’t even be able to call for help. _(haven’t you realized it yet? DO YOU HEAR ME SPIDER?! no one likes you, YOU MOTHERFUCKING FAILURE OF TROLL!)_.

Who would help her anyway?

Trying to get away, she stood up a bit too quickly and wobbled. Kanaya took a step forward as to catch her if she fell but she brushed her off, killing of the part in her that wanted to lean onto the fair troll, hide behind her. “Really. I’m fine. I’m just… going off to my recuperacoon to get some Z’s. Kay?” She backed away from the strange looks the other trolls gave her. Finally breaking eye contact she turned her back to them all, ignoring Kanaya’s and Tavros’s calls after her.

Conversations slowed after her departure, the three trolls she left turning to each other in confusion. While listening to the fading voices, she almost missed the whisper that might have come from the room or just as well from the back of her own mind. It left a bitter flavour in her mouth tasting suspiciously much like blood. Her breath hitched and she clutched her damp chest.

It was like she had dived down into shallow water. Crashing down headfirst into a rocky bottom, unable to get up and breathe. _She couldn’t breathe!_ With only the startled yell from what could only be Kanaya, if you trusted the running but still somehow gracious steps coming closer behind her, she closed her eyes and took an unconscious dive to the floor.

 _(nightynighty, little skyblood )_ >:o)


End file.
